Seed planter

Abstract

A planter for seeds and bulbs includes a tube assembly receiving a plunger which is reciprocable between retracted and extended positions. With the plunger in its extended position, a lower end thereof extends downwardly from the tube assembly for embedding a seed in the ground. A handle is mounted on an upper end of the plunger for operating the planter. A feed assembly includes a seed hopper mounted on an upper end of a conduit, the lower end of which is connected to a lower end of the tube for passing seeds thereinto. A spacing rod is provided for gauging the spacing between plantings.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
       1. A planter for seeds and bulbs, which comprises: (a) a tube with upper and lower ends and a bore extending between and open at said ends;   (b) a plunger having upper and lower ends and being reciprocably mounted within said tube bore for movement between a retracted position with said plunger lower end retracted within said bore and an extended position with said plunger lower end telescopically extending from said tube lower end, said plunger having a plunger extend stroke and a plunger bore;   (c) handle means mounted on said plunger;   (d) conduit means having upper and lower ends and a passage extending therebetween;   (e) junction means joining said tube and conduit means lower ends with said tube bore and conduit means passage in communication;   (f) said plunger lower end substantially filling said tube bore at said tube lower end whereby a seed located in said tube lower end is embedded by said plunger extend stroke;   (g) spring means connected to said plunger and to said tube for biasing said plunger to its retracted position; and   (h) spring mounting means in said plunger bore for mounting said spring to said plunger.   
     
     
       2. The planter according to claim 1 wherein: (a) said tube includes an upper elongated slot in proximity to the upper end thereof; and   (b) said plunger means includes a handle projecting laterally from said plunger means and slidably received in said upper tube slot.   
     
     
       3. The planter according to claim 1 wherein: (a) said junction means includes a lower elongated slot in said tube receiving the conduit means lower end in proximity to the tube lower end.   
     
     
       4. The planter according to claim 1, which includes: (a) a blade having the general configuration of a half hollow cylinder with upper and lower ends, said blade being mounted on said tube with the blade upper end positioned above said tube lower end and the blade lower end protruding downwardly below said tube lower end.   
     
     
       5. The planter according to claim 4, which includes: (a) a slot in said blade receiving said conduit lower end generally in alignment with said lower elongated slot in said tube.   
     
     
       6. The hopper according to claim 1, which includes: (a) spacing means mounted on said tube in proximity to the lower end thereof and including an adjustable rod adapted for spacing a plurality of seeds being planted at predetermined intervals.   
     
     
       7. The planter according to claim 1, which includes: (a) a seed hopper mounted on said conduit upper end.   
     
     
       8. The planter according to claim 7 wherein: (a) said hopper includes a sidewall and a circular bottom forming an upwardly-open receptacle.   
     
     
       9. The planter according to claim 8 wherein: (a) said hopper includes a discharge opening in said hopper bottom and an outlet depending downwardly from said hopper bottom and communicating with said discharge opening, said outlet being connected to said conduit upper end in communication therewith.   
     
     
       10. The planter according to claim 9 wherein: (a) said hopper includes a circular selection plate having a center and a plurality of orifices of varying diameters circumferentially spaced around the selection plate center, and a pivot pin extending through said selection plate center and said hopper bottom for pivotally mounting said selection plate on said hopper bottom.   
     
     
       11. The planter according to claim 1, which includes: (a) a spacer subassembly including a strap with opposite ends attached to said tube in proximity to the lower end thereof and a rod slidably received within said strap, said strap and said rod being pivotable between a stored position with said rod alongside said tube and a use position extending transversely therefrom.   
     
     
       12. A planter for seeds and bulbs, which comprises: (a) a tube including upper and lower ends, a bore extending between said ends and open thereat, and a tube wall enclosing said bore;   (b) a plunger assembly including: (1) a cylindrical plunger with an open, upper end and a closed, lower end, said plunger being positioned within said tube bore and movable between a retracted and an extended position;   (2) said plunger having a plunger bore;   (3) plug means closing said plunger lower end;   (4) a plunger insert positioned within said plunger bore in proximity to said plunger upper end;   (5) a handle mounted on said plunger in proximity to the upper end thereof and projecting laterally therefrom;   (6) a helical return spring having a lower end connected to said plunger insert and an upper end; and   (7) a return spring retainer pin extending through said tube wall and transversely through said tube bore in proximity to said tube upper end, said return spring upper end being connected to said return spring retainer pin;     (c) a conduit having upper and lower ends and a passage extending therebetween and open at said conduit upper and lower ends;   (d) a conduit mounting bracket mounted on and interconnecting said tube and conduit upper ends;   (e) a hopper including: (1) a sidewall;   (2) a bottom forming a receptacle with said sidewall, said bottom having a discharge opening and a center;   (3) a tubular outlet pending downwardly from said hopper bottom and communicating with said hopper bottom discharge opening, said tubular outlet being connected to said conduit upper end in communication with said conduit passage;   (4) a circular selection plate including a center and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced circular orifices each having a different diameter, each said orifice being selectively alignable with said hopper bottom discharge opening;   (5) a selection plate axle rotatably connecting said selection plate and said hopper bottom at the centers thereof;   (6) tube/conduit junction means comprising a slot formed in said tube wall in proximity to the lower end thereof and receiving said conduit lower end;     (f) a blade having the general configuration of a hollow half-cylinder with upper and lower ends, said blade having a slot open at said blade upper end, said blade being mounted on said tube wall with said blade slot generally in alignment with said tube wall slot and with said blade lower end projecting downwardly from said tube lower end; and   (g) a spacer subassembly including: (1) a strap with opposite ends, said strap being folded with said strap opposite ends overlying each other;   (2) a spacer subassembly mounting rivet extending through said strap ends and said tube wall;   (3) a measuring rod slidably adjustably received within said strap and connected thereby to said tube; and   (4) said spacer subassembly being rotatable about said spacer mounting rivet between a stored position generally juxtaposed with respect to said tube and a spacing position extending generally transversely from said tube.     
     
     
       13. A planter for seeds, which comprises: (a) a tube with upper and lower ends and a bore extending between and open at said ends;   (b) a plunger having upper and lower ends and being reciprocably mounted within said tube bore for movement between a retracted position with said plunger lower end retracted within said bore and an extended position with said plunger lower end telescopically extending from said tube lower end, said plunger having a plunger extend stroke;   (c) handle means mounted on said plunger;   (d) conduit means having upper and lower ends and a passage extending therebetween;   (e) junction means joining said tube and conduit means lower ends with said tube bore and conduit means passage in communication;   (f) said plunger lower end substantially filling said tube bore at said tube lower end whereby a seed located in said tube lower end is embedded by said plunger extend stroke; and   (g) said tube bore having a tube bore cross-sectional dimension;   (h) said plunger lower end having a plunger lower end cross-sectional dimension slightly less than said tube bore cross-sectional dimension whereby said plunger lower end is slidingly guided by said tube bore   (i) a plunger return spring having an upper end connected to said tube in proximity to the upper end thereof and a lower end connected to said plunger in proximity to the upper end thereof;   (j) an upper spring retainer pin extending transversely across said tube bore, said return spring upper end being connected thereto;   (k) an insert positioned in said plunger in proximity to the upper end thereof; and   (l) a lower spring retainer pin extending transversely across said insert and connected to said return spring lower end.